602 APPLICATION OF METHODS OF BACTERIOLOGY 



infants. The organism is very generally distributed in 

 nature and can be very readily isolated from sewage by 

 appropriate methods. It is an anaerobic, spore-forming 

 organism, 0.8^ in width, and 1.6 to 4.8^ in length. It is 

 actively motile and flagella have been demonstrated. 



In culture media containing carbohydrates this organism 

 produces gas in large quantities. Russell analyzed the gas 

 and found it to be composed principally of methane. Milk 

 and other sugar media in which the organism has been 

 grown have a distinct odor of butyric acid. 



When injected subcutaneously into guinea-pigs this 

 organism causes most marked alterations. There is intense 

 inflammation at the point of injection with edema and 

 necrosis and the surrounding tissues are filled with gas. 

 The bacteria are distributed throughout the body of the 

 animal and can be isolated in pure culture from the blood of 

 the heart. All the internal organs are intensely congested. 



